It has been estimated that we throw away 6.7 million tonnes of food in the UK each year, a staggering one third of the amount we buy in the first place. The majority of this food waste is collected by local authorities and sent to landfill where it becomes a major source of methane, one of the .most potent greenhouse gases.
Of the total food wasted each year, around 60% could have been eaten had it been managed better. This avoidable food waste costs the UK £10.2 billion each year, which amounts to £420 per household.
With an increasing need for landfill sites, greater pressure to build incinerators, and a growing national waste bill, it is time to address this inexcusable throw-away culture we have created. Factoring in rising food bills and the need to reduce emissions, we must do all we can to cut down on the amount of food we waste.
In addition to managing our food better, only buying and cooking what we need, we should be aiming to compost the remaining food waste either at home or through council food disposal programmes such as the one run by Bristol City Council which keeps food waste separate from other household rubbish so that it can be composted.
The majority of us each throw away approximately 70kg of food per year – the weight of an average person. The amount of money we spend on this avoidable food waste (from growing it to processing, packaging, transporting, and storing it) is shocking.
We need to recognise that waste is a valuable resource. As we stated in the Quality of Life report, Britain should aspire to become a Zero Waste Economy. A focus on what we do with our food would be a good start.
Related posts: